Steve Balllmer (Microsoft photo)

It will happen again Wednesday, just as it does every November: Hundreds of people will settle into Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center for Microsoft's annual meeting of shareholders. After a word of gratitude to the veterans in attendance, presentations from top Microsoft executives, and the results of shareholder balloting, the floor will be opened to questions.

And with rare exception, those questions will be a waste of time.

"Mr. Gates, you look like you're wearing a Huskies purple shirt this morning," one shareholder asked at Microsoft's 2006 meeting. "I wondered if you just haven't given up on the Huskies yet."

That's an extreme example. More common are perennial questions that elicit predictable responses from Microsoft executives:

Q: What are you going to do about the share price? A: We can't control the stock market, but we're focusing on the fundamentals of the business and seeking to maximize shareholder value for the long term.

Q: When will you raise the dividend? A: The board considers the dividend on a quarterly basis but we don't have anything to share with you today.

Of course, those are important subjects for Microsoft shareholders. But this is the one moment each year when the company's owners get to quiz the people who run it. Why not ask questions with a chance of generating meaningful insight? If I were a Microsoft shareholder, these are a few of the things I'd want to know this year.

How does the company envision the international economic crisis affecting its business? Microsoft gave guidance to investors on this topic during its recent quarterly conference call. But so much has changed since then -- including a warning from key Microsoft partner Intel -- that an update would be valuable.

Follow-up: How will the economic turmoil affect job growth at the company? Microsoft has weathered past times of trouble by scaling back its hiring -- continuing to grow, but at a slower rate. Will that be the pattern this time? Or would the company ever consider reducing its overall headcount to cut expenses?

How does Microsoft expect U.S. antitrust policy to evolve under the Obama administration? Microsoft has enjoyed noticeably smoother relations with the U.S. Justice Department during the past eight years than it did under the Clinton administration. Conventional wisdom might suggest that regulatory oversight would become more stringent after President Bush leaves office. What does Microsoft expect along those lines? Is it altering its behavior in any way as a result?

Does Microsoft still hope to acquire or partner with Yahoo's search business? At this point, it's pretty clear that Microsoft doesn't want to buy all of Yahoo anymore. But the recent unraveling of the Google-Yahoo deal appeared to open the door again to a possible combination of the Microsoft and Yahoo search businesses. Is Microsoft interested?

When will Windows 7 be released? Good luck getting a definitive answer on this one. Microsoft has said it's aiming to come out with the new operating system three years after Windows Vista's general availability. That would be January 2010. But there have been signs that the real target is 2009. At the very least, it would be worth hearing directly from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on the topic.

What's the financial status of the Windows Mobile and Microsoft Dynamics businesses? A restructuring two years ago folded those emerging businesses into other divisions, making it more difficult to monitor their performance and profitability on the company's financial statements. A status report would be worthwhile.

Those are just a few that come to mind, and everyone out there no doubt has many more. Offer your thoughts below. Given the chance, what would you ask Microsoft executives at this week's meeting?

Check back Wednesday to see if anyone takes our advice.